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SECOND SIGHT 
SECRETS 

AND 

MECHANICAL MAGIC 



BY 

DR. HERMAN PINETTI 

BRIDGEPORT, CONN. 



BEING A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF MANY OF 
THE LATEST EFFECTS IN MECHANICAL MAGIC, 
TOGETHER WITH SECRETS AND EXPLANATIONS OF 
HOW MANY OF THE PERFORMANCES IN SECOND 
SIGHT AND MIND-READING ARE PERFORMED. 



I 



fwo Copies Heceiveu 

FEB 4 1305 

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COPY 8. 



Copyright 1905 

BY 

THE DUNHAM PRESS 
Bridgeport, Conn. 




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CONTENTS 



Chapter i. Cabinet Tricks, - 7 

Chapter 2. Table Lifting, - - - - 14 

Chapter 3. The Floating Girl, - - - 18 

Chapter 4, Second Sight and Kindred Phenomena, 24 

Chapter 5. Parlor Amusements, r - 48 



PREFACE. 



p^pTlHE author in presenting this little volume does so 
1 1 with the intention of assisting his readers to sohe 
l|||iylj some of the mysteries and illusions that are per- 
formed on the public stage to-day by conjurors and 
so-called spiritualists, and also with the hope of dispelling the 
idea that these mysteries are accomplished by occult or super- 
natural methods, which belief is growing to quite an extent 
in this country. 

The author has made a very careful study of the many 
illusions both in magic and in spiritualism, and of the trans- 
mission of thought, which is known by a great many different 
names, and in this little volume he intends to show how these 
illusions may be performed by purely mechanical meTms. It 
should be borne in mind, however, that it is not so much the 
apparatus employed as it is the shrewd, ever-observing 
methods employed by the performers, who are very sharp, 
keen men. The devices employed by the performers are so 
numerous that it is impossible to say just what methods they 
will use next. As soon as one method is exposed they im- 
mediately begin to plan, and evolve an entirely different 
method of performing the same illusion. The great success 
of the magician is in disarming the suspicions of the skeptic, 
and this is accomplished by leading him to think a certain 



SECOND SIGHT SECRETS 



method is employed when he is really using another. 

The author merely offers some solutions and points out 
certain fundamental principles which are usually employed, 
and which he thinks will assist his readers in solving these 
mysteries for themselves. No literary merit or perfection of 
style is attempted in this little volume for it is written in 
every-day language, but I hope it may prove of interest and 
value to my readers. 



DR. HERMAN PINETTI. 




CHAPTER I. 

CABINET TRICKS. 

lBINET tricks have always been a great stand-by 
for performers in spiritualism, A committee from 
the audience is usually chosen, and after tying the 
performer securely to a chair or board or in some 
other way binding him very securely, he is then placed in a 
cabinet, the curtains drawn, and immediately manifestations 
take place, such as the ringing of bells, the banging of tam- 
bourines and playing of guitars. 

I will now explain three of the latest and best cabinet 
tricks which I know. The first is known as the "Mahatma 
Miracles/' and the effect of same is as follows: — 

A cabinet with a translucent gauze opening in the front 
curtain stands on the stage and is freely inspected by a com- 
mittee to see that there are no double backs, sides or tops. 
The medium then takes a seat in the cabinet and passes his 
or her hands through two apertures in the sides of the cab- 
inet, where they are tied with ribbons and the ribbons held 
on the outside of the cabinet by the committee. The curtains 
are now closed, but due to the translucent gauze opening in 
the front of the curtain the medium's head and shoulders are 
seen by all. In spite of this, however, bells are rung, tam- 
bourines played, a glass of water is raised to the medium's 
mouth, a newspaper which is placed on the floor of the cabinet 



SECOND SIGHT SECRETS 



is cut into beautiful designs, and many other manifestations 
take place. 

The secret of this trick lies in the cabinet. It is an ordi- 
nary cloth one, with a raised platform about four feet square. 
The front curtain, as above mentioned, has a gauze opening 
about eighteen inches in diameter, and the two side curtains 
have openings large enough to allow the medium to pass his 
hands through. The legs of the cabinet are about six inches 
high and five inches in diameter. The secret of this cabinet 
lies in one of the front legs, which is hollow. The floor of the 
cabinet is laid off in squares so that one of the squares comes 
over the hollow leg and acts as a trap. A strong screw-eye 
is screwed in the under side of the trap and a rope attached 
to same. This rope passes down through a hole in the floor 
to an assistant underneath the stage, who holds the trap down 
while the committee inspects the cabinet 

The medium takes his seat on a chair in the cabinet, and 
passes one hand through each aperture in the sides, where 
they are securely fastened with ribbons or ropes, the ends of 
w 7 hich are held by the committee. The curtains are now 
closed and the tests occur. The assistant under the stage 
works everything by pushing his hand and arm up through 
the hollow leg. He is thus able to ring the bells and play 
the musical instruments which are placed on the floor. In 
the glass-of-water test the assistant has a stuffed glove, with 
wires running up each finger, which is painted flesh color, 
and is fastened to a stick. He bends the wire fingers of this 
glove around the glass of water and pushes same up to the 
medium's mouth. In regard to the paper test. An ordinary 
newspaper is placed on the floor of the cabinet with a pair of 



AND MECHANICAL MAGIC. 9 

scissors. The assistant promptly draws this paper down 
through the hole in the floor and places another paper, cut 
into beautiful designs, on the floor of the cabinet, where it is 
found when the curtain is drawn aside. Many other tests can 
be performed, all of which I think will now be clear. It is 
needless to say that the assistant must always pull the trap 
down and hold it tightly by the rope after each test so the 
committee can discover nothing upon examining the cabinet. 
The medium gives the assistant a signal when to open the 
trap by tapping his foot on the trap. The cloth of the cabinet 
should be of some dark material. 

The spiritualistic post test is the next which I will de- 
scribe. In the most common form it consists of a post of 
pine wood two and a half feet long. This is given to the 
committee, one of whose members bores a hole through it, 
near its upper edge, and then passes an ordinary rope through 
the hole. A knot is then tied in the rope on each side of the 
post. The knots are pressed against the sides of the post to 
prevent the rope from being pulled through the hole. The 
ends of the rope are now unravelled, and the post is fastened 
to the floor with spikes. The medium takes a seat behind the 
post and his hands are securely tied to the post with the un- 
ravelled ends of the rope. Small pieces of court plaster are 
pasted over the knots so as to prevent him from slipping his 
hands from the fastenings. A hail is driven into the top of 
the post and a rope is secured to it. This second rope is 
held by the committee. A screen is now placed around the: 
medium. Bells are rung, etc., showing that the medium has 
the use of his hands. 

The secret of this trick consists in boring a hole in the 



io SECOND SIGHT SECRETS 

center of the end of the post. A chisel is then inserted in 
the hole and the opening closed with glue and sawdust col- 
ored with paint. In boring the hole through the post the 
medium starts the bit so that there is no danger of the com- 
mittee boring the hole too low or so high that it will strike 
the chisel. When the nail is driven in the top of the post it 
forces the chisel down and cuts the rope. The medium may 
now ring bells, etc. After the medium is through he puts the 
rope ends back in the hole in the post and holds his hands 
very tightly against the post while the knots are inspected by 
the committee. 

I will now explain what is known as the cotton bandage 
test, which is usually used by female mediums. A male per- 
former, as a rule, uses rope or wire. In this experiment the 
committee is chosen from the audience and furnished 
by the performer with pieces of cotton cloth about an inch 
and a half wide and three feet long. One of these cotton 
strips is tied securely around each wrist of the medium, the 
performer instructing them to tie a number of good hard 
knots. As an extra precaution, a needle and thread is now 
furnished and a number of stitches are made above the knots 
to prevent them from getting untied. Strips of court plaster 
are also fastened over the bandages on wrists to prevent them 
from being slipped off the hands. The medium now places 
her hands behind her, and the ends of the strips from each 
wrist are now tied together by a number of good hard knots 
by the committee. What ends are left are evenly cut off near 
the knots. Another strip of cloth is now produced and one 
of the committee ties this strip around the knots between her 
wrists, leaving the ends of about equal length. The medium 
now takes her seat on a small stool with her back toward a 



AND MECHANICAL MAGIC. 1 1 



ring in a board which has been fastened to the floor. One 
end of the last strip is passed through the ring and several 
knots are tied. Another strip is produced and tied around 
the medium's neck and then tacked against the upright board, 
Two more strips are now used, tying one around each arm 
above the elbow, and the ends of same are also tacked to the 
board. The committee having done all this work themselves 
are thoroughly satisfied as to its genuineness. As an extra 
precaution, to show that the medium does not use her limbs 
in any way, a cord is tied around both feet, an end of which 
is held by a member of the committee. 

A cabinet is now placed over the medium, and no sooner 
is the curtain closed than the usual manifestations take place, 
such as the ringing of bells, tooting of horns, banging of tam- 
bourines, driving of nails, etc., etc. Each time the curtain is 
opened the medium is seen with her hands apparently se- 
curely tied as before. Finally a pocket knife is placed in her 
lap, the curtain is closed for a few seconds, and soon the 
medium comes forth with her bonds cut, but only the wrists 
separated. This is supposed to be done by the spirits. Now. 
I will explain this mystery. 

In a convenient pocket in the back of the medium's dress 
or in her belt she has slipped a small sharp open knife, with 
which she cuts through the bands between her wrists. She is 
able to do this as her hands are not tied absolutely tight to- 
gether, because in tying the bandages around the wrists the 
perform 2r instructs the committee to tie a number of good 
hard knots, and furthermore to sew the bandages together 
about two inches above these knots. These knots are also 
tied on the inside of wrists or above the palms of the hands. 



12 SECOND SIGHT SECRETS 

It will be readily seen that when the loose ends are tied to- 
together there is a three or four inch space between her hands, 
so it is not at all difficult for her to cut herself free. She 
cuts the bandage which connects her wrists clos* to the band 
which fastens her to the ring and slips this bandage off. 
leaving it whole and still tied to the ring, and now has the 
free use of both hands, and as the strips tied around her arms 
were tied above her elbows she has full use of her forearms, 
and is thus able to raise a glass of water to her .mouth, tie 
knots in a handkerchief around her neck and drive nails into 
a chair, She makes what manifestations she chooses, and by 
placing her wrists one on each side of the ring and clasping 
her hands together, pressing all tightly together, she is ready 
for examination. The ring being wound with cotton cloth the 
same as used in the bandages the committee cannot see that 
anything has been changed, and, being a little ill at ease up- 
on a public stage, they are ready to say that she is bound 
without making the most thorough examination possible. An- 
other thing to notice is that she is finally cut free. The rea- 
son of this is that if the investigators were to release her they 
would discover the secret. 

This cotton bandage test is also performed in a little 
different manner, in which the medium is not cut free at all. 
In this case, when she places her hands behind her, she rests 
one hand on each hip so that her hands are about nine inches 
apart, and then has the committee tie the four ends together 
and then fasten her as in former case. She is now able by 
reaching with her left hand in back of her as far as possible 
to slip her right hand into her lap and get hold of what musi- 



AND MECHANICAL MAGIC. 13 

cal instruments are placed there. At first thought this mav 
seem impossible, but with a little practice and some con- 
tortion on the part of the performer it is quite easy to perform 
the trick in this manner. 



CHAPTER II. 



TABLE LIFTING. 



M— "K)ST spiritualistic performers usually perform a test 
of table lifting or of floating tables. Small, light 
lj3gg}^ tables are lifted by the mere "laying on of hands." 
The arms are raised in the air and the table is seen 
to cling to the hands and follow every motion. This is 
accomplished by a pin driven well into the table, projecting 
above the table about a quarter of an inch. There is a good- 
sized head to this pin. The performer wears a ring with a 
slot in it. The body of the pin easily enters the slot in the 
ring, but the head of the pin being of good size prevents the 
table from falling away from the hand. After the table has 
been floated successfully an extra strong upward pressure of 
the hand pulls the pin out and the table can be examined. 
This trick may be performed when the table is covered with 
a borrowed silk handkerchief, as the handkerchief, being of 
fine, soft texture, does not prevent the pin slipping into the 
slot cut into the ring. This addition makes the trick a little 
more effective. 

There is also another method employed of raising a table 
which has been examined beforehand by a committee, who 
also examine the performer's hands to see that there is no 
sticky substance on them. In this method, instead of having 



AND MECHANICAL MAGIC. 15 

a slot cut into the ring, a strong needle point is soldered to 
the outside of the ring and at a slight angle to it. This ring 
is placed upon the performer's hand so that the point is stick- 
ing toward the tips of his fingers. The ring may be turned 
upon his finger so that the point can be concealed between 
the fingers when his hands are being examined. When he 
performs this trick he merely turns the point around to the 
inside of his hand, and the top of the table being of some 
soft texture, such as cardboard or wood covered with felt, 
he is able to push this needle point well into the top of the 
table, and is thus able to raise it without trouble. 

Small, light tables are sometimes floated in the air with 
the performer holding his hand well above the table and not 
touching it at all. This is easily accomplished by having two 
strings running from one side of the stage to the other 
worked by assistants. They merely raise these strings from 
the floor so they come underneath the table, when by a little 
effort they are able to raise the table completely off the floor. 



THE OBEDIENT HANDKERCHIEF. 

This little trick is usually performed in connection with 
some other handkerchief trick or with some act in hypnotism. 

The performer having borrowed a handkerchief from 
some one in the audience for some trick, before returning 
same to the owner states that he is going to try and make 
the handkerchief stand alone. He ties a knot in one corner 
of the handkerchief, rubs it between his hands, "to endow it 
with magnetism/' and then places same on the floor. At his 



16 SECOND SIGHT SECRETS 

command the handkerchief rises or falls, it dances to music, 
and altogether acts in a very strange manner. He now picks 
the handkerchief up and carries it forward to its owner. 

There are several methods of performing this little ex- 
periment, and, while not much of a trick in itself, if well pre- 
sented it is very interesting. The old method used to be of 
having a string extending from the floor to the ceiling and 
thence passing over a small pulley to the back or side of the 
stage. On the end of the string on the stage was a small 
bent pin or a pellet of wax. The performer when tying the 
knot in the handkerchief stuck the pin in the corner of same 
or stuck the wax to the handkerchief, whichever method was 
used. His assistant from the side of the stage w r as now able 
to operate the handkerchief. This was somewhat of a clumsy 
method, as it took a little dexterity to release the handker- 
chief from the string after the performance. The method 
now usually employed, and on which the details are worked 
out with care, is to have a fine black string passing from 
one side of the stage to the other. The performer has an 
assistant at both sides. When he is to perform this trick 
they raise the string to the height of his hands, and in tying; 
the knot in the handkerchief he ties it loosely around the 
string. He now drops it to the floor, and at his command the 
assistants are able to raise the handkerchief and make it 
move forward and backward in a very mystifying manner. 
To heighten the effect the performer passes a chair or a tam- 
bourine over the handkerchief, thus showing that there is no 
connection made from above, which is the method usually 
supposed to be employed. Now, when he returns the hand- 
kerchief one assistant drops his end of the string and the 



AND MECHANICAL MAGIC. 17 

other holds his firmly, and the performer walking down to 
the front of the stage with the handkerchief, the string is 
drawn through the knot. 

Another method of fastening the string to the handker- 
chief may be employed where the performer is able to carry 
the handkerchief to the side of the stage before performing 
the experiment. In this case he passes a needle to which is 
attached a thread through a corner of the handkerchief, and 
then walks to the other side of the stage, where he gives one 
assistant an end of the string, the other end being held by 
the assistant on the first side. 

There is also another method of performing this, in 
which the performer passes a solid hoop completely over am! 
around the handkerchief while it is suspended in the air 
This little contrivance, being one of my own, consists of a 
fine piece of wire made on the same plan as the apparatus 
used in suspending a woman in mid-air, which I will explain 
in the next chapter. 




CHAPTER III. 



THE FLOATING GIRL, 

[E following illusion is usually performed in connec- 
tion with an act of hypnotism, and is very sensa- 
tional and mystifying. The effect is as follows :— 
On the stage is a long, narrow couch with back 
and ends, usually upholstered in some dark material. The 
legs of the couch are about twelve inches high, and the 
audience are able to see plainly underneath the couch. The 
performer introduces a young lady, and apparently hypno- 
tizes her. She then lies down upon this couch and the per- 
former continues to make more passes over her, arranges 
the draperies of her dress, and sometimes covers her with a 
small shawl. He then takes a position in back of the couch 
directly over her and continues his hypnotic passes. To the 
wonderment of all, she is seen to rise slowly from the couch 
to a considerable height. The couch is now removed by two 
assistants, and she is apparently suspended in mid-air. To 
disprove the agency of any mechanical appliance the per- 
former now has brought to him a solid wooden hoop, which 
he passes completely over, in back, and again over the sus- 
pended girl. His two assistants then bring back the couch^ 
and she slowly sinks back upon the seat of same. The per- 
former now rouses her from her hypnotic sleep, she ri9es f 



AND MECHANICAL MAGIC. 



19 



bows to the audience and retires. 

I will now explain how this illusion is usually performed. 
It can only be performed on a theatre stage or where there is 
plenty of room underneath, as this is where the working of 
the trick takes place. There is a false seat to the 
couch, which consists of a board from four and a half to 
five feet long and from six to eight inches wide. This board 
is upholstered in the same material as the couch, and when 
laying on the seat of the couch cannot be noticed. There is 
a small slot cut in the back of the couch in the very center, 
from the top down to the seat. This slot is hidden by the 
upholstery so it cannot be noticed by the audience. 




I will now call attention to the accompanying cut, by 



20 SECOND SIGHT SECRETS 

the aid of which I can better explain this illusion. "A-B" is 
the board or false seat which I have described. In this dia- 
gram we are supposed to be looking directly down upon it. 
At "G" there is firmly connected to this board a heavy metal 
coil, as illustrated in the cut. This coil consists of three 
metal bars, numbered, respectively, "i, 2 and 3." This entire 
apparatus is in the same horizontal plane as the board "A-B/ f 
The connection "G" is made through the slot in the back of 
the couch of which I spoke, and the back of the couch extends 
between rod "No. 1" and the board "A-B," running out con- 
siderably beyond the ends of this board. It will now be seen 
if this metal coil is raised upward it will carry with it the 
board "A-B." At "F" there is a small stud, connected to met 
al coil either by welding or having the bar bent over. This 
little stud is of triangular shape and several inches long, and 
is at right angles to the metal coil and perpendicular to the 
floor. The smaller cut "F" at the right will make this plain to 
the reader. 

This stud"F"fits firmly into abar having a triangular open- 
ing at its end. This bar is pushed up through a small trap 
in the stage from underneath same. This bar is free to move 
up and down, but otherwise is firmly secured underneath 
stage. Underneath it is a strong screw-jack, which is capable 
of raising the complete apparatus above, even with the addi- 
tional weight of the young lady reclining on the board "A-B." 
The performer, after the young lady lies down on the seat 
of the couch, in reality on the board ''A-B," walks around in 
back of the couch and stands close up to bar "No. 3" with 
his right leg in the space "H." The stud "F" is thus in back 



AND MECHANICAL MAGIC. 21 

of his right leg. The small trap in the floor is now opened 
and the bar is pushed up in back of the performer's leg and 
connected with the stud "F." The bar being painted black 
would not be noticeable against the performer's black trous-r 
ers and shoes should it come into view. It is, in fact, hidden 
from view by the performer's right leg. All the performer 
has now to do is to remain in this position, and heighten the 
effect by his spectacular plav, such as hypnotic passes directed 
toward the young lady. His assistants underneath the stage 
merely raise the young lady by screwing up the jack, or 
raising her by whatever appliance may be used. When she 
comes to a position above the top of the couch the couch 
may be removed by two assistants of the performer. Of 
course, it will be understood that the dress and draperies of 
the girl will completely hide the board and the apparatus in 
back of same. 

Now, for passing the solid wooden hoop over the sus- 
pended girl. To do this the performer takes the hoop in his 
left hand, passes it over the end marked "A" of the board 
and down between rods "No. 1" and "No. 2," the hoop as- 
suming the position of that in the diagram marked "D." It 
is now carried forward by the performer's right hand and off 
at the end of board "B." The hoop is now turned around 
and assumes the position "C." The whole hoop is now 
passed in back of the girl, running between rods "No. 2" and 
"No. 3." When it reaches the end of the board "A" it is 
again passed over the girl and board and assumes the posi- 
tion marked "E." It may now be completely withdrawn from 
off of the end marked "B." The performer may now reverse 
the motion of the hoop by starting it at "B" if he chooses. 



22 SECOND SIGHT SECRETS 

The foregoing is somewhat difficult to explain, but if 
the reader will bend a piece of wire into the shape as above 
and take a small ring and follow these directions he will see 
how this is accomplished. 

The position which the legs of the couch occupy are 
marked off on the floor, so that when the couch is returned 
it will be in the same position as at first, and thus the little 
bar "G" slips through the slot in back of couch when the 
girl is again lowered. This slot may be cut diagonally 
through back and then cannot be seen. When the board 
"A-B" comes to rest on the seat of couch the bar which 
passes up through the hole in the floor is now withdrawn 
through the floor and the trap closed. The performer then 
walks around to the front of the couch and apparently 
awakens his subject. 

Some performers have a different connection with the 
rod from under the floor, having a thread cut on the end 
which screws into the coil at "F." This may be a more secure 
fastening, but it takes longer to insert and remove. 

I wish to call attention to the fact that this little diagram, 
which is made very 7 roughly, is not drawn to scale, being more 
to illustrate the course of the hoop than for any other pur- 
pose. The small semi-circular space "H" has a diameter oi 
about a foot, and the performer stands in this, the semi 
circular hoop encircling his leg. The apparatus may be raised 
up as high as performer's waist or even higher, and the hoop 
will then be encircling his body, while the rod connected to 
"F" running through the floor will be hidden by the per- 
former. 

This illusion was first performed by having the girl lie 



AND MECHANICAL MAGIC, 23 

on a couch or upon a board supported by two wooden 
horses, quite close to the rear curtain of the stage, and instead 
of having the connection made underneath the floor a rod 
was passed through a slot in the back curtain which connected 
to the metal coil, The end of the rod in back of the curtain 
was firmly fitted into a heavy block which slid up and down 
in a perpendicular frame. This block, by means of ropes 
and pulleys, could be raised or lowered by the assistants in 
back of stage. Without a doubt, however, the method of per- 
forming this illusion now, where the performer stands over 
the girl in the center or even in the front part of stage, is 
very much better and more mystifying in every way. 



CHAPTER IV. 
SECOND SIGHT AND KINDRED PHENOMENA. 



a IS far back in history as one cares to go he will find 
x\ mention of magicians and the works of magic which 
they performed. Even before the building of the 
Pyramids in Egypt magic was a reputed art. 

We read in the Bible of Aaron casting down his rod 
before Pharaoh and his servants and its becoming a serpent. 
The magicians of Egypt then being summoned by Pharaoh 
did likewise with their enchantments, turning their rods into 
serpents. (Exodus, Chapter seven, Verses ten and eleven.) 

Magic was greatly in vogue in the middle ages, and we 
read weird tales of ghosts and gnomes in literature of that 
time. 

One of the earliest of the necromancers of whom we 
read was Joseph Balsamo, known as Count Cagliostro. He 
married a very beautiful girl at Rome, who proved of great 
assistance to him in his impostures, and with her and a 
retinue of servants traveled all over Europe and scattered 
money right and left. He, however, reaped an abundant 
harvest by his impostures. He was very cordially received 
wherever he went, and was believed in by serious-minded 
and educated men. In Paris he became involved in some 
affair and was thrown into Bastille. Though eventually 
liberated, he was compelled to leave Paris. Cagliostro was 



AND MECHANICAL MAGIC. 25 

the last to win any great fame as a pretender to occultism, 
although there was a feeble attempt to revive thaumaturgy 
in the nineteenth century by Madame Blavatsky. Science, 
however, has laughed away sorcery and witchcraft. 

In London, 1784, we read of Chevalier and Madame 
Pinetti, and his wonderful experiments of new discovery . 
We read of Madame Pinetti being seated in one of the front 
boxes of the theatre, blind-folded, and guessing at everything 
imagined and proposed to her by any person in the company. 
Here we have the first mention of the second sight trick 
which, in the hands of latter-day artists, has become so 
popular. Houdin rediscovered it, passed it on to Robert 
Heller, who improved it, and at the present day Keller and 
Others make it a feature of their performances. 

Heller's performance was very remarkable and mystified 
the people for : years, even after his death; in fact, until Mr. 
Fred Hunt, Jn, who was Heller's assistant for many years, 
made an expose for the "London Times." 

Heller used to perform with his sister, Haidee Heller. 
She was introduced to the audience blind-folded and seated 
upon the stage. Heller would then go among the audience 
and receive from them various articles, which Miss Heller 
accurately described. Heller's method consisted of a very 
elaborate code of words, which system he so simplified as to 
embrace every variety of article, classified in sets. One 
question with a word or two added sufficed to give the desired 
information to his sister, who had a thorough knowledge of 
the code, and she could at once describe any desired article. 

Heller also had a silent method of performing these 
tricks, in which he did not speak a word, and this effect 



26 SECOND SIGHT SECRETS 

puzzled every one. It was accomplished by means of elec- 
tricity. A confederate sat among the spectators, near the 
center aisle of the theatre, and the wires of an electric bat- 
tery connected with his chair, a small push button being 
under front part of seat. The wires ran from the confeder- 
ate's chair to the floor and under the carpet and underneath 
the stage, then up to the floor of the stage, and connected to 
a small metal plate. The chair on which Miss Heller sat had 
two little pins in one leg, and these were placed upon the 
metal plate in the floor. In the chair was a little mechanical 
contrivance connected with wires which ran through the 
woodwork and down through the leg of the chair, and con- 
nected to the two little pins before mentioned. When the 
chair was placed on the plate the connection was made, and 
when the button was pressed by tHe confederate the little 
contrivance used made a slight tapping upon the chair which 
could be heard or easily felt by Miss Heller. In this manner 
the code used by them could be telegraphed by the assistant. 
Heller would bring the article to be described down near 
where the assistant sat so that he could see it, and he would 
then telegraph in their code a description of what the article 
might be to Miss Heller, who sat blind-folded on the stage, 
and she, to the wonderment of all, would accurately describe 
the article. 

This method of telegraphing information to an assistant 
has been used by later performers in a slightly different 
manner. The assistant is concealed at the side of stage 
where he can see the audience and performer. The medium 
is blind-folded, and a committee of gentlemen come upon 
the stage and write numbers on a blackboard. The blind- 



AND MECHANICAL MAGIC. 27 

folded medium adds or subtracts, and tells whatever figure 
is pointed to by any one in the committee ; also tells the 
value of cards, and gives other tests in numbers. 

The assistant at side of the stage can see all numbers on 
the blackboard and can also see the cards. He communi- 
cates the answer to the blind-folded medium by pulling a 
little string which runs under the stage and which causes a 
little metal rod to come up through a small hole in the stage 
floor. The medium sits with her foot directly over this small 
hole, and also has a hole about one inch in diameter cut in 
the sole of her shoe. Now, when the string is pulled the 
small rod presses against the medium's foot, and when the 
string is released the rod, which is fastened to a spring or 
stout elastic band, again recedes into the floor. 

Suppose the sum of several columns of figures on the 
blackboard is 5037. The assistant at the side of stage quickly 
adds them up himself, and then pulls the string seven times, 
and the medium calls out in slow tones, as if under great 
mental pressure, (not foot pressure) "Put down number 
seven." The assistant now pulls the cord three times and 
pauses. "The next figure is number three," says the medium. 
To telegraph the cipher the assistant now gives a long steady 
pull. The medium now calls for cipher, and then on receiv- 
ing five pulls calls out the kst number five. She is thus able 
to tell any number pointed to by any one. When vacant 
space is pointed to the assistant does not pull the string, and, 
there being a long pause, the medium knows that no figure 
is being pointed to, and says: "You are not pointing to any 
figure." The signal to stop is a series of two pulls in rapid 
succession. 

It sometimes happens that the assistant cannot see what 



28 SECOND SIGHT SECRETS < 

number is required, say, for instance, the number on a watch 
or the date on a coin. In this case the performer communi- 
cates with the assistant by sign language, and the assistant 
now telegraphs the desired number or numbers to the me- 
dium. The signs may be gotten up as in the following table: 

Closing right hand, sign for number i. 

Frowning, sign for number 2. 

Smiling, sign for number 3. : 

Right hand on hip, sign for number 4. 

Raising eyebrows, sign for number 5. 

Rubbing chin, sign for number 6. 

Drawing mouth to right, sign for number 7. 

Rubbing ear, sign for number 8. 

Hand to brow, sign for number 9. 

Looking to floor, sign for o. 

A great many signs can be used, and most performers 
have their own. The telegraphic method is very good for 
tests in numbers, but for the communication of words or 
questions is too slow, and it is also difficult for medium &o 
get the question, if it be a long one, as she cannot write it 
down, and, therefore, this method is not often used in any- 
thing but number tests. 

Some of the performers in magic around the country 
are now giving very mysterious exhibitions in thought trans- 
mission. Notably among these are the Baldwins, known as 
the "White Mahatmas," and the Fays in their act called 
"Thaumaturgy." Their performances are remarkable, and I 
will now describe the effect, and offer some solutions to the 



AND MECHANICAL MAGIC. 29 

mystery. I do not say that the methods I suggest are the 
only ones used, for there are so many methods that it would 
be impossible to describe them all. I will merely tell the 
principal methods employed for producing these effects by 
purely mechanical means. Now, for a description of the 
tricks performed by some of the present conjurors. 
' The performer announces that his assistant, who is usu- 
ally a woman, and whom I choose to call a medium in the 
following description, will read and answer questions written 
by the people in the audience, which they may have written 
at home on their own paper or at the theatre. He instructs 
them to write a short question and sign their name if they 
wish an answer, then to fold the question up and place same 
in their pocket or pocketbook. For the convenience of those 
who have not written their questions at home the performer 
and the ushers distribute slips of paper and pencils among 
the audience. They also pass out pieces of millboard to act 
as a rest on which to write the question. They (the per- 
former and ushers) disclaim any preparation of these mill- 
boards and they are only passed out to obviate the incon- 
venience of writing on the knee. A number of these boards 
are torn in two and given to the audience lo examine, and 
keep as souvenirs, if they so wish. This is done to show that 
there is no preparation about the boards. After the ques- 
tions are written the boards are brought back by the ushers 
and laid upon the stage in *iew of all. A little vaudeville show 
n9w usually takes place, which occupies a half-hour or so, the 
star performance or that of thought transmission or tele 
pathy being held until last. 

Before commencing this last part the performer makes 



3 o SECOND SIGHT SECRETS 

a few remarks and impresses it upon the audience that if they 
wish their questions answered they must concentrate their 
minds upon them, for if they oppose "the one with attributes 
not usually utilized by man" or think that the medium cannot 
read their questions then she cannot, and they will not be 
answered. He instructs the audience that if any person's 
name be called, whether he or she has written a question or 
not, to promptly respond by raising his hand so as to put 
himself in direct communication with the medium. Why 
the raising of the hand, which is somewhat embarrassing to 
a person, places him into closer or more direct communica- 
tion with the medium the performer fails to explain. To 
assist the audience to concentrate their thoughts on the ques- 
tions he bids them take out their questions from their pockets 
or purses or wherever they may be concealed, and occasion- 
ally read them over. At this point a rustle of paper is usually 
heard all over the house, showing what faith the audience 
have in the performance. 

The performer now presents the medium. She is very 
carefully blind-folded, and then mesmerized by the perform- 
er. A large sheet is now usually thrown over the medium, 
ostensibly to shut out material vision and to retain the per- 
sonal magnetism, which cannot escape through the white 
sheet, provided it be a very white one. The performer and 
ushers now distribute themselves about the theatre, and the 
medium now starts in something after the following: — 

"Sitting down stairs and to my right there comes to me 
the name of Smith. I believe it is Clarence R. Smith." 

Now the performer requests Mr. Smith to raise his hand, 
which he does, and the medium continues: — 

"He is sending me a thought about himself. Now, 



AND MECHANICAL MAGIC. 31 

concentrate your thoughts, Mr. Smith, and think very hard ; 
and I will see if I can get your question. Yes! He says: 
'Will I be successful ?'" 

Mr. Smith now states that this is the question which he 
has written, and the medium now proceeds to answer him in 
something of this manner: — 

"I see no reason, Mr. Smith, why you will not be suc- 
cessful, and I think you will. However, you will make a 
change in a short time and will leave your present position as 
bookkeeper for Brown & Jones. 

''You wrote that question out at home, Mr. Smith, and 
on a card, didn't you? 

4i Yes, — I thought so. It is written in ink, and you wrote 
it at your home, No. 734 Main Street. Am I not right?" 

Mr. Smith now states that everything the medium has 
told him is correct as far as he knows. 

The performer now collects the card from Mr. Smith 
and brings it down to the front of the house, and calls atten- 
tion to the fact that it is not written on his paper. If there 
is some printed matter on the card he may ask the medium 
to read what is there, and she, after a little hesitation, does 
so. 

This test which I have described would be known as a 
star test, as the question was written outside of the theatre 
and besides reading and answering the question she describes 
the card on which it is written. 

I will now enter into an explanation of a variety of 
methods used, or that may be used, to perform these seem- 
ingly remarkable experiments, by the pure aid of science and 
trickery. 

The very innocent-looking little millboards play a very 



32 SECOND SIGHT SECRETS 

important part in performances of this character. Out of a 
lot of about fifty boards there are twelve to fifteen that are 
"faked" in a manner which I will presently describe. The 
rest of the boards are, however, without any preparation, 
and can be broken open and examined by any one. The 
"fake" boards are prepared by inserting under the top thin 
layer of the board a piece of white paper and over this a sheet 
of carbon paper. The thin layer or face of the board, really 
a piece of brown paper, is now pasted down around the edges, 
which, when sandpapered off, bears casual inspection without 
disclosing the secret. Both sides of the board may be pre- 
pared if desired, but one side is usually deemed sufficient, for 
the ushers who pass out the boards know which is the "fake" 
side. They place a piece of paper on this side and pass it to 
the person to write on, and not one person in a hundred will 
turn the board over to write on the other side. Any question 
written on the pager, using this board as a rest, will be trans- 
ferred by means of the carbon paper to the sheet of white 
paper underneath. The ushers armed with a handful of good 
solid boards and four or five "fake" boards now pass among 
the audience. By a little practice they are able to pick out a 
skeptic or any one whom they think may cause trouble by 
stealing a board or tearing it open for the purpose of dis- 
covering the secret in the board. To those they give the 
genuine boards, and if that person should now break it opeci 
for the purpose of exposing the performer he feels very cheap 
on finding; no preparation about it. As before stated, to all 
of those of whom the ushers are. suspicious they pass genuine 
boards, and toothers they pass the "fake" boards with paper 
and pencil, and they are very careful to get all of these boards 



AND MECHANICAL MAGIC. 33 

back. They may occasionally break open a good board to 
show that there is no preparation. Several questions can be 
written on each prepared board, as the questions, being brief, 
are not apt to be written on the same part of the board, and 
even if they are can easily be read. 

The ushers, after they have collected all the boards, retire 
to the back of the house, where they slip the "fake" boards 
under their coats or vests, and then bring down the genuine 
ones with some little show, holding them above their heads 
and throwing them carelessly down upon the stage, where 
they remain during the entire performance. 

The performer also passes out some boards to be written 
on, but as all eyes are on him he has no opportunity to slip 
any of these boards under his vest, so he uses only genuine 
boards, and is not very particular whether they are returned 
or not. Questions written on these boards are not answered, 
that is, not by any assistance of the boards, but they may be 
answered by some of the other methods, which I will : describe 
later. 

The ushers now carry their boards around to the back 
of the stage to the medium, where they are arranged in piles 
The usher who distributes the boards on the right side of the 
house places his in one pile; a pile is also made by the usher 
from the left of the house, another by the usher from the 
center of the house, and still another by the usher from the 
gallery. In this way it is known in what part of the house the 
questioner sits. 

A paper knife is now inserted under the top sheet of 
beard and the top sheet removed and the white sheet with the. 
copy of the questions on it is taken out. The medium and* 



34 SECOND SIGHT SECRETS 

her assistants now either cut these questions out, making lit- 
tle slips of them, or copy them into a little book, making 
notes regarding the answers under each question where it is 
necessary. Of course, the sensational part of the performanc * 
is in the answers the medium gives, and the quicker and 
cleverer she is in her answers determines the success of the 
performance. 

The medium and assistants now, while the vaudeville 
show is taking place on the stage, work up the answers. They 
are provided with recent issues of local papers from which 
they can get information about local affairs, and also are 
able to post themselves on the latest stock quotations, if any 
question is asked about them, and there usually are a number. 
They also have a directory of the town they are in, which 
contains a great deal of useful information for their business. 
Suppose the medium only has the name of some man in 
the audience. She can look that person up in the directory, 
find out his business and his home address, and, by consulting 
the street directory, can find out his next-door neighbors. 
If, in her performance, she calls out this man's name, telling 
him she cannot seem to catch his question, as he does not 
concentrate his thoughts upon it, she may bring in, in a very 
clever manner, the information which she has obtained from 
the directory, telling him where he lives and naming his 
neighbors, also telling him where he is employed. This makes 
a very good impression on the audience, especially if the 
man is well-known in the town and one who all would know 
was not in collusion with the performer. The directory also 
gives a list of all city and town officials, names of all physi- 
cians, clergymen and lawyers, names of men in the different 



AND MECHANICAL MAGIC. 35 

departments, such as the police and fire departments, besides 
giving a list of all stores and manufactories in the town, their 
owners and officers, and it is all in a very convenient form for 
reference. 

I will now describe a similar method of gaining posses 
sion of questions by the aid of the boards, but in this case the 
boards are free of preparation, but not so with the small slips 
of paper distributed, on which the questions are written. One 
side of these slips of paper is prepared by rubbing it over 
with a piece of hard soap of good quality. Nothing will be 
noticed about the paper except that one side seems to be 
glazed. The cardboards used have a hard smooth face. In 
passing out the slips of paper and boards the soaped side of 
the paper is placed down upon the face of the board and 
passed to members of the audience. They write their ques- 
tions upon these papers, naturally using the side uppermost. 
The pencils provided have a rather blunt point. 

These boards being collected they are carried back of 
stage as in the former method. Here the boards are dusted 
over with some pigment, such as bronze powder or lamp 
black. This is now shaken off, and the questions written will 
now show up plainly on the boards, the particles of lamp 
black or whatever is used sticking to the outline of the 
soap, which adhered to the board in the act of writing the 
question, and which was not visible until dusted with this fine 
powdered pigment. 

The medium now having a list of questions on which she 
has made up suitable answers conceals these in her dress and 
comes forward onto the stage, where she is blind-folded. As 
soon as the large sheet is thrown over her, however, she 



36 SECOND SIGHT SECRETS 

pushes this bandage up from her eyes, and the sheet being of 
thin material or having a number of threads drawn out in that 
portion which covers her face, she is enabled to read her ques- 
tions and answers under the sheet. 

T think this will fully describe the methods employed 
where the questions are written upon the performer's boards. 

I will now describe a number of methods by which she 
obtains questions which are written outside of the theatre, 
and upon the people's own paper. 

Besides the ushers and assistants we see with the per- 
former at his exhibition he also employs a number of men 
and women of whom the audience know nothing. They act 
as assistants to the performer in many ways. Usually one 
or two of them make a systematic canvass of the town to be 
played in a week or so in advance of the performer in the 
ostensible occupation of book-agent or peddler of some sort. 
Their real mission is, however, to keep their eyes and ears 
open and gain all the knowledge possible that may be of 
assistance to their employer. They mail a list made up with 
index to the performer before they leave the town for the 
next. On this list they have described subjects of local in- 
terest in the town which they have canvassed. The list may 
contain a description of some local mystery, such as a rob- 
bery, murder, fire or wreck, together with a list of names of 
those persons who are, or are thought to be, implicated in 
any way. If an election of any sort is soon to take place 
they send the performer a list of the candidates, with the 
probable successful candidates, and about how many votes 
each is expected to carry. If some race or athletic event is 



AND MECHANICAL MAGIC. 37 

soon to occur the favorites are mentioned. 

This information the performer's "advance guard" find 
out from local papers and by overhearing conversations in 
the hotels, on the streets, and at the houses and offices at 
which they call. By using a little diplomacy, they can "pump" 
a whole lot of local gossip and useful information from the 
unsuspecting citizens whom they run across, all of which is 
sent to the performer, who follows along a week or two 
afterwards. This preliminary work is known by professionals 
as "planting a town," and the performer usually reaps the 
harvest. 

Another use of the confederates is to have them scat- 
tered through the audience at the performances. They make 
it their business to see and learn what questions those around 
them write or have written. They can often overhear one 
person telling another what question he has written. The 
confederates or "cappers," as they are known, make copies 
of these questions they learn of by spying on those around 
them and by hearing them talked of. Sometimes they cannot 
get the person's name, and in this case they give the number 
of the seat the person is sitting in or a description of the 
person. In other cases a person's name is all they can see 
or overhear. They write this down, however, for all informa- 
tion, no matter how trivial, can be made use of in the per- 
formance. The "cappers" also write down a description of 
the question, whether written in ink or pencil and the color 
of same, and a description of what it is written on, whether a 
large, small or narrow piece of paper, card or envelope 

When the boards and papers are passed around the "cap- 
pers" write down all the information they have gathered. 



38 SECOND SIGHT SECRETS 

This writing by the "cappers" is not noticed by those sitting 
around them, for they write the questions on one of the 
boards distributed and at the same time all are writing. When 
the "cappers" return the boards and pencils to the ushers 
they pass the slips, containing the information which they 
have gathered, rolled up in little balls to the ushers, who 
take them in back of stage to the medium. 

A star test is usually worked up by aid of the "cappers/* 
the medium answering some question which they are sup- 
posed to have written, about the past or present, describing 
the details of what they inquire about in a very tragic manner, 
the "cappers" announcing that all she tells them is absolutely 
correct. 

The treasurer or ticket seller of the theatre or hall is 
usually taken into the confidence of the performer, and he can 
furnish additional information, as he knows the people in 
town well and by name, and is able to tell the performer what 
seats they are sitting in. He is also able to draw out from 
those buying tickets what questions they intend to ask, or 
they will often volunteer the information, telling the treas- 
urer that they are coming to see the performance to find out 
who stole their watch or who will be the next mayor, or 
whatever they may wish to know. The treasurer makes a 
note of all this, and this information is used in the act. The 
person, however, who tells the treasurer what he would like 
to know may not write the question at all. In this case, 
the medium calling on him and being informed that he has 
written no question states that he is thinking of such or such 
a thing, and this adds greatly to the act and makes a num- 
ber of converts to occultism. 



AND MECHANICAL MAGIC. 39 

It will be seen now that if at every performance the four 
or five "cappers" sitting among the audience are all successful 
in finding out two or three questions which are written at 
home or outside of the theatre and a description of what they 
are written upon, together with what information is obtained 
from the treasurer of the house, and also the questions which 
the medium obtains from the "fake" boards, the medium has 
now obtained abundant ammunition of mystery to fire at the 
audience for about an hour, the solution of which passes 
over their heads. 

This method of employing confederates to find out ques- 
tions written outside of the theatre is, of course, expensive, 
and some performers do not like to use it, not only on ac- 
count of the expense, but because often-times "cappers" or 
"planters" leave the performers and start a show of their own 
or give away some of the secrets, so some resort to another 
method, which is simple and worked very openly, the work- 
ing of which I will now describe. 

When the medium is covered with the sheet an assistant 
under the stage passes up through a small hole or trap in 
the floor either a rubber speaking-tube or a small telephone 
receiver connected by wires. This is either connected to the 
medium's ear by a band which passes around her head or is 
held to her ear by her hand. The rubber speaking-tube or 
the wires from the telephone, whichever is used, run undei 
the stage to an assistant. The arrangement of theatres 
being very different, there is no fixed place for the assistant 
to conceal him or herself, but it is always in the most advan- 
tageous position — sometimes at the side of the platform, 
sometimes in one of the lower boxes, but usually underneath 



4 o SECOND SIGHT SECRETS 

the stage, directly under the footlights or under the runwav 
which runs from the stage out to the auditorium. The sides 
of this runway being boarded up or covered with rugs or 
carpets, the assistant is concealed from view of the audience 
In one of the steps leading from the runway down to the 
floor of the auditorium there is a secret opening, by means 
of which the performer is able to pass, unobserved, slips of 
paper containing questions and suggestions, which are read 
by assistant and telephoned to medium sitting under sheet. 

The performer usually stands near these steps and walks 
back and forth, while his assistants or ushers wander over 
the theatre locating the people whose names are called. 

As the performer has requested the audience to take out 
their questions and read them over, they are usually held in 
their hands. The ushers often on seeing a per- 
son holding a question ask to see it for the purpose of assist- 
ing him in thinking about it. The ushers experience very 
little difficulty in collecting these questions, as the majority of 
the people in the audience believe that the performance is one 
in pure thought reading, and think the reason their questions 
are not answered is due to their being unable to concentrate 
their thoughts upon them, and as they are usually anxious for 
an answer are very willing to accept the proffered assistance 
of the ushers and give them their questions outright. The ush- 
er usually makes a few inquiries about the question. The usher, 
if he does not retain the question or slip, on walking down 
the aisle makes a copy of it on a little slip of paper, either in 
longhand or in some code understood by the assistant, and 
furthermore adds what information he has obtained about it. 

Suppose the question be: — 



AND MECHANICAL MAGIC. 41 

"Where is my sister, Mary," signed, "Annie Laurie." 
The usher asks Miss Laurie when and where her sister was 
last heard from, and may be informed that it was a year ago, 
from Germany. 

On the questioner's slip or copy of same he writes: 
'last heard from in Germany a year ago." 

This slip and many others which he has obtained he 
rolls up into small balls, and on passing the performer, 01 
under cover of talking to him, secretly passes him these slips. 
The performer in turn passes them through trap opening m 
the step to the assistant concealed under same, or possibly 
drops them over the railing of the lower box, if the assistant 
is concealed there, where they are gathered in from the floor 
of the box by the assistant and telephoned to medium. 

The medium is now able to answer the person's inquiry 
about their missing sister. She utilizes as much dramatic 
power as possible in her answers and works them up cleverly, 
often-times giving information in her answers which she 
gains from the written question alone. For instance, she 
will probably answer the "lost sister" question as follows: — 

"Some one is sending me a thought from down stairs. 
It is a lady and I think her name is Annie Laurie." 

"I see the lady right here!" exclaims an usher, and a 
connection being now established between the medium and 
Miss Laurie, she is able to read the question. She proceeds. 

"Miss Laurie is sending me a thought about her sister, 
and wants to know where she is. 

4 T think I can tell you your sister's name. Miss Laurie. 
It is Mary. Isn't that right? Yes,— I thought so, and you 
have not heard from her for over a year. 



42 SECOND SIGHT SECRETS 

"It seems to me she is in a foreign land, and I seem to 
see the flag of Germany. 

"Your sister is well, Miss Laurie. She has written you 
a letter and it is now on its way, and you will receive it next 
Tuesday/' 

"Wonderful !" exclaim the audience, and Miss Laurie 
goes home a firm believer in the supernatural, wondering, 
possibly, if there will be money in "Mary's" letter. 

The majority of questions written pertain to lost or 
stolen articles and questions regarding the future. This is 
natural, for most people are not interested in the past or 
present. It, of course, makes the answering of the questions 
very much easier for the medium, for where the questioner 
is in ignorance about the answer she can tell him anything, 
and the success of her answers is limited only by her skill 
and dramatic ability. 

There are, however, always a number of skeptics at the 
performances, who try and test the value of the medium's 
answers by asking questions, the answers of which they know, 
such as: — "What is the number of my watch?" "What was 
the score of such and such a game?" "What is the date of 
the coin in my hand?" etc. The answers to these have to be 
worked out with more care, and is usually performed in this 
way. The medium has gained knowledge of the question in 
some of the preceding methods I have described, and when 
she answers this question she calls out the questioner's name, 
and states that he or she is thinking about a watch, about a 
game, or coin, or whatever the question may be about. She 
states she cannot seem to see more, asking the person to 
think intently about it and she may get it. 



AND MECHANICAL MAGIC. 41 

She now proceeds to answer some other questioner, but 
she has given the performer a cue that she desires more in- 
formation about the question she left unanswered. 

The performer now goes to the person, asks for his ques- 
tion (we will in this case consider the questioner a man) and 
reads it. He also asks for the answer, which is usually told 
him. (If it is not the question will not be answered.) He no* 
tells the person to think about it intently and he may be an- 
swered. 

The performer now leaves the person and walks down to 
the stage. On his way, secretly or openly, the latter is usually 
the better method of disarming the suspicious, he writes down 
the answer to the question, such as the number of the watch, 
score of the game or date of the coin, on a slip of paper. He 
now passes this through trap to assistant, who reads it off to 
medium, and she returns to the questioner, stating that she 
can now see his question, reads it and answers it. Questions 
of this kind always make a decided hit. 

Some performers, when they wish to convey a number 
to their assistant, do so by sign language, the assistant keep- 
ing his eye on the performer through a peep-hole from his 
place of concealment. 

By the aid of a verbal code the number may be conveyed 
directly to medium by a question or sentence spoken by per- 
former. I will explain an example of this code. For instance, 
we will say 

Please, means i 

Tell, means 2 

Can, means 3 



44 SECOND SIGHT SECRETS 

We, means 4 

Hurry, means 5 

Give, means 6 

Quick, means 7 

I, means , 8 

Speak, means . . i_ 9 

What, means o 

Suppose the performer wishes to communicate the num- 
ber 68,401. He says to the medium: — 

"Give us an answer. I wish it. We all do. What is the 
number of so and so? Please tell me." 

By making short sentences or questions, using the code 
word first in each sentence, the number is conveyed to me- 
dium. It may also be done by making up one sentence and 
slightly emphasizing the code word; for example: — 

"Give Mr. Blank an answer, for / wish it and we all do; 
what is it, please?" 

There is another clever way of getting questions directly 
to medium. On the medium's first coming on the stage she 
takes a seat on a chair that is upon a table, and is then covered 
over with the sheet. This is done to show there is no con- 
nection from underneath the stage, as the audience can see ■ 
under the table. 

She now calls off a number of questions and answers 
same. These are the questions, however, she has concealed 
on her person, which she obtained from the boards or from 
the "cappers" before going on. 

She becomes restless after a while, however, and re- 
quests to be taken down from the table. The performer and 



AND MECHANICAL MAGIC. 45 

one of the ushers go upon the stage and lift her, chair and all, 
on to the floor. The performer and usher have in their hands 
a quantity of questions they have collected from the audience. 
or copied, rolled up in little balls, and in lifting medium down 
from the table place their hands under the sheet in a per- 
fectly natural way to take hold of the chair. Under cover of 
the sheet, however, the medium takes the questions from 
their hands, and now has ammunition for a lot more mystery. 

It will be seen that there are any quantity of ways to get 
questions to the medium. 

Regarding the part of performance where the medium 
describes a card or envelope which the performer holds in his 
hand on which some person has written his question, she 
not only reading the question but the printed matter on the 
card or envelope as well. This is often done by holding the 
article to be described so that the concealed assistant at the 
side or under the stage or in a lower box can see it througn 
a small peep-hole, either with his naked eye, or with the as- 
sistance of a powerful spy-glass, with which he is able to read 
fine print, the information being immediately telephoned to 
medium. 

Some performers do not cover the medium with a shert. 
In this case one of the rear legs of the chair, in which she sits, 
comes directly over a small hole in the stage. The leg of the 
chair is hollow and this opening extends up the back of the 
chair, the chair being one of the bent-wood variety. 

The medium has a small rubber tube, one end connected 
to her ear, the other end running around her head and down 
the back of her neck. This tube is concealed by her hair and 
dress. The performer, in blindfolding the medium, slips t\.e 



46 SECOND SIGHT SECRETS 

free end of this tube into a small hole in the back of the chair 
which opens into the hollow back and leg. One end of an- 
other tube is passed up through the hole in the floor into the 
hollow chair leg ; the other end of this tube is in the hands of 
the assistant where he has concealed himself. Anything 
whispered into this end, to which is attached a mouth-piece, 
is distinctly heard by medium. 

The rest is easy, for instead of medium having a list of 
questions to read they are in possession of assistant, who 
reads them to her through the speaking tube, together with 
notes regarding the answers and all other information passed 
into him by performer. In my opinion, this is a very 
much neater way of performing the trick, for there has never 
been a good reason advanced for covering the medium with 
a sheet. 



CLOSING REMARKS. 



i 



T must be remembered that in this little volume the 
author has not been able to enumerate and discuss 
all the methods used by clairvoyants or mind-readers 
on the public stage, or suggest what methods thej 
will next use, for they will surely plan and contrive new ones 
as soon as the old methods are discovered. But I think, how- 
ever, by the aid of the preceding explanations and sugges- 
tions the reader will perceive how most of the performances 
of this kind are now accomplished, and by the knowledge of 



AND MECHANICAL MAGIC. 47 

these secrets discover other methods and, possibly, those to 
come in the future. 

I hope I have been successful in removing my readers 
from the hazy clouds of occultism and bringing them to earth, 
where we are all predestined to remain, both body and soul, 
until death. The only mind that any of us can read is that 
of our own, and that, many times, not too well. If any of us 
could fathom the thoughts of others an interview with finan 
ciers of Wall Street would enable us to own the world in a 
short time, especially if we could also predict the future, 
which would be, in my opinion, an easier and shorter way of 
gaining earthly riches than two performances a day at pop- 
ular prices. 



CHAPTER V. 



PARLOR AMUSEMENTS. 



I 



WILL now explain a few simple little tricks in sec- 
ond sight which may be performed by any one ui 
his own home, but which, if well done, w r ill be very 
mystifying. 



DISAPPEARANCE OF A CARD THOUGHT OF BY A 

SPECTATOR. 

The performer brings forward a pack of cards which he 
shuffles well, and then passes the cards from one hand to the 
other with faces toward the audience. A spectator is now 
asked to remember any card he sees. Upon this being done 
the performer again shuffles the cards and passes them from 
hand to hand, one at a time, when it is discovered that the 
card thought of has disappeared. A second card is similarly 
treated. 

To produce the above effect the performer takes an or- 
dinary pack of fifty-two cards, but pastes them back to back, 
so he really has twenty-six cards with a face on each side. It 
will thus be seen that on one side are pictures of twenty-six 
cards and on the other side the remaining twenty-six. After 



AND MECHANICAL MAGIC. 49 

the spectator has thought of any card the performer in 
shuffling the pack merely turns them over and next exposes 
the other side* It will be readily seen that any card selected, 
in fact, all of the cards first exposed have now apparently dis- 
appeared. To any one with a pack of cards so arranged 
would be suggested a number of clever experiments, such as 
changing the colors of the cards from all red to all black, and 
by waving a single card in the air to change its suit and 
color, etc., etc. 



DISCOVERING A SELECTED COIN. 

A 

In this experiment the performer has an assistant, usu- 
ally a young lady as the effect is better, whom he blind-folds, 
and she takes a seat in the room. He next borrows a num- 
ber of coins from those in the audience, and has some one 
person select a coin. The performer asks tKis person to 
notice the coin carefully so that he can identify it. He then 
asks the person to hold the coin tightly in his hand and think 
very intently about it. The rest of the coins are now placed 
in a hat, and after a short period the person who has selected 
a coin is asked to drop the coin into the hat with the others. 
The coins are now well shaken up, and the hat taken to the 
blind-folded assistant. She puts her hand into the hat and 
promptly withdraws the selected coin. This, while a very 
simple trick, is very effective. The coin which the person 
selects and holds in his hand becomes slightly warm from the 
heat of the hand, and the assistant is thus able to distinguish 
it from the other coins, which are cool. 



5o SECOND SIGHT SECRETS 



TEST IN ADDITION. 

In this experiment the performer brings forward an or- 
dinary slate and piece of crayon and requests some person to 
write a column of figures on the slate. The performer now 
takes the slate, quickly draws a line underneath the column of 
figures, and places the slate, face downward, on a table, on 
the top of slate placing a small piece of crayon. His assistant, 
who has been out of the room during this part of the ex- 
periment, now enters, and on walking up to the slate picks up 
the crayon and marks down the total sum of figures on the 
other side of the slate, which are found to be absolutely cor- 
rect on turning the slate over and adding the figures up. 

To perform this experiment the performer is armed with 
a small piece of crayon in addition to the crayon which he 
gives to the spectator. One side of the crayon which he re- 
tains is filed smooth. The performer also has a small lead 
pencil concealed in his hand along with the crayon. When 
the person in the audience is writing down the figures the 
performer mentally adds these up, and secretly writes the sum 
total on this small piece of chalk which he has in his hand 
He now takes the slate, places it face downward upon the 
table, and on top of it places the prepared piece of chalk, 
flat side down, retaining the chalk which the spectator used. 
All that is now necessary is for his assistant to pick up the 
piece of chalk, secretly read the figures written on it, and 
mark them down upon the slate. 



AND MECHANICAL MAGIC. 



SECOND SIGHT TRICKS. 

By the following method quite mysterious tricks may be 
performed in one's own house. The performer's assistant is 
blind-folded and sits in a remote part of the room. She has 
attached to her finger an end of a fine black silk thread. The 
other end of this thread the performer carries. He is now- 
able by sharp twitches upon the cord to communicate with 
his assistant, telling her the dates of coins, the suit of a card, 
the number of a watch and many other experiments by using 
a little code which they have arranged between them. It is 
needless to say the performer must keep his hand hidden in 
making these twitches on the thread so as not to be observed 
by the audience. This little trick can be worked up with 
good effect, as the performer may stand quite some distance 
from his assistant, and no words are spoken. 



ENVELOPE TRICK. 

A person is requested tc write a question with ink upon 
a card. The card is now placed in an envelope and sealed. 
The performer takes the envelope from the room for a few 
seconds. On coming back he returns the envelope to its 
owner and also another envelope, which on being openc 1 
will be found to contain a card, on which is written an answer 
to his question. The envelope, however, in which his ques- 
tion is sealed shows no evidence of having been tampered 
with in the slightest. 



52 SECOND SIGHT SECRETS 

When the performer leaves the room he immediately 
takes a sponge which is saturated with alcohol and rubs it 
over the surface of the envelope, which makes it transpar- 
ent, and he is thus able to read what is written on the card 
inside. He then writes a suitable answer on another card, 
which he seals in another envelope. The alcohol evaporating 
very quickly there is no sign of it upon the envelope when 
returned to its owner. 

The End. 



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